Kunal Nayyar: What Happened to The Big Bang Theory Actor?

British-born Indian actor Kunal Nayyar had his career-defining role being cast as Raj Koothrappali in the CBS sitcom The Big Bang Theory. His character on the show was one of the four main male characters, alongside Sheldon Cooper, Howard Wolowitz, and Leonard Hofstadter. Created by Chuck Lorre and Bill Prady, Raj Koothrappali was an Indian astrophysicist who feared talking with women.

The Big Bang Theory aired for 12 seasons from 2007 to 2019. Although it is Kunal Nayyar’s most recognizable role, he also starred in several other movies and TV shows. Since the show ended, not much has been heard or seen from The Big Bang Theory cast. However, Nayyar is one of those who has had a busy acting problem. Here’s everything about Kunal Nayyar’s career and life after The Big Bang Theory.

Kunal Nayyar Guest-Starred In Criminal: UK

George Kay and Jim Field Smith created Criminal: UK, a British police procedural anthology series for Netflix. Kunal Nayyar was one of the series’ guest stars. Nayyar appeared in a 2020 episode (“Sandeep”), playing convicted serial killer Sandeep Singh. His appearance and performance quickly caught the attention of critics and audiences. 

Nayyar, who had only ended The Big Bang Theory TV series a year ago, appeared sporting a full beard and playing an against-type character he had been known for. The episode, the series finale, originally aired September 16, 2020. For his performance, Kunal Nayyar was nominated for Best Supporting Actor at the 2021 British Academy Television Awards. 

He Reprised His Voice Role In The Trolls Franchise

Kunal Nayyar joined the franchise in its first installment movie, Trolls, in 2016. Nayyar was part of the voice cast, voicing Guy Diamond. He reprised the voice role in the 2020 and 2023 sequels, Trolls World Tour and Trolls Band Together, directed by Walt Dohrn. Just as he had done in the 2017 TV special Trolls Holiday, Kunal Nayyar also voiced the character on television in the 2021 animated musical Christmas TV special Trolls: Holiday in Harmony. The 26-minute special premiered on NBC on that year’s Black Friday, on November 26, 2021.

Kunal Nayyar Landed A Lead Role In A New TV Series In 2022

Since The Big Bang Theory ended in 2019, Kunal Nayyar’s first major television role was on Apple TV+’s British thriller series Suspicion. Nayyar was cast as a hacker, Aadesh Chopra, who’s one of five people suspected of kidnapping the son of an American media mogul, Katherine Newman (Uma Thurman). The 8-episode series was mostly panned by critics, with a 50% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Unsurprisingly, Suspicion, based on an Israeli series False Flag, was canceled after the first season. Nayyar shared the screen with English actress Georgina Campbell, who was also one of the five suspects. Suspicion originally aired from February 4 to March 18, 2022.

He Appeared In An Episode Of Night Court In 2024

Kunal Nayyar guest-starred in an episode (“A Crime of Fashion”) of NBC’s revived sitcom Night Court in season 2. Nayyar was cast as fashion designer Martini Toddwalls. He’s introduced hiding from the paparazzi in Abby Stone’s (Melissa Rauch) chambers. Rauch was Nayyar’s co-star in The Big Bang Theory, who played microbiologist Bernadette Rostenkowski. In the episode of Night Court, Nayyar’s character and Rauch’s character hit things off and spend the night together. The episode starring Kunal Nayyar aired on NBC on February 6, 2024. 

Kunal Nayyar Has Starred In Several Movies

Although he hasn’t had many regular roles on television, Kunal Nayyar Has starred in several other movies since The Big Bang Theory ended. Besides voicing Guy Diamond in the Trolls films, in 2020, he played Mr. Mills in the family science fiction comedy Think Like a Dog. Starring alongside Josh Duhamel, Megan Fox, and Gabriel Bateman, Nayyar’s Mr. Mills is the school benefactor and a rock star tech entrepreneur. Interestingly, Think Like a Dog received generally favorable reviews. 

In 2022, Nayyar played the title character A.J. Fikry in the comedy-drama The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry. Nayyar returned in 2024 to star in the Adam Sandler-led Netflix science fiction drama Spaceman. Kunal Nayyar played Peter, a technician and good friend of Czech astronaut Jakub Procházka (Sandler). In 2024 How to Date Billy Walsh, Kunal Nayyar plays Rupert Brown, Amelia “Milly” Elizabeth Brown’s (Charithra Chandran) father. Also, Kunal Nayyar will play Scrooge in the 2025 family comedy fantasy film Christmas Karma. If you enjoyed catching up on The Big Bang Theory’s Kunal Nayyar, also read about what happened to the cast of the House TV series.